Biomass comprises plant matter that may be suitable for direct use in a number of industrial and manufacturing processes. Often, biomass may be utilized as a fuel source, such as burning of peat and plant material for warmth and electricity generation. Additionally, biomass may often be collected for use as animal feed, animal bedding, and the like. Biomass may be collected for composting, derivation of fertilizers, and other sustainable agricultural practices. Biomass also has applications in manufacturing, including the manufacturing of next generation biodegradable plastics. Furthermore, biomass may be utilized as a raw material for the generation of ethanol, and other chemically or biologically derived products.
One commonly utilized source of biomass is corn plants after the collection of the kernels for traditional food, fuel, and animal feed purposes. Corn, as a biomass, is particularly plentiful in the United States and other countries where corn is a major crop. Corn biomass typically includes the stalk of the plant, leaves and husks, and the cob material. The kernels are typically removed from the cobs by combine or other mechanical means.
Biomass is often collected in bulk by necessity of scale and economics. Bulk collection of biomass has some intrinsic disadvantages, the largest of which is the collection of foreign materials along with the desired biomass. For example, when collecting crop byproducts, such as corn cobs and stover (e.g., stalks and leaves) the biomass is collected in a field where dirt, rocks, and similar material may be collected in conjunction with the biomass.
When biomass is utilized as animal feed, such contaminants may lead to digestive problems in the animals, reduction of the nutritional value of the biomass, and may lead to rejection of the feed by animals. When biomass is utilized for product manufacturing, the foreign materials may contaminate final products, clog or damage manufacturing machinery, or otherwise interfere with the manufacturing process. When used as fuel in a power plant, this foreign material may accumulate in the burner and necessitate more frequent cleaning. In the context of ethanol production at a biorefinery using biomass, foreign materials in the biomass may inhibit ethanol production, clog machinery, and even damage the biorefinery. In response to this, incoming biomass is often cleaned prior to use in biorefinery and manufacturing sites. Cleaning consumes valuable time, incurs additional capital and operational costs, and generates additional waste water.